Ashes to Ashes...

Just a little something to let people know I'm still alive on this Ash Wednesday. Lately, I've come to value alot of the liturgy, tradition, etc. from some various denominations (I'm beginning to hate that word), which lead me to take another look at the observation of Ash Wednesday. Now, as I understand it, Ashes is the day were adherents go to their palces of worship and have the sign of the cross marked on their forehead with ashes as they confess sin and resolve to turn from it. I've always wondered about the practice, searching the Scriptures for any, even vague, reference or instruction along these lines. This year, I came to see it from a different angle. We shouldn't be hemming and hawing and casting judgement because we see that that there is no instruction or example of celebrating Ash Wednesday one day a year. Rather, we should be intensely concerned with the fact that there is a command to celebrate it everday of our lives: The focus of Ash Wednesday isn't some religious liturgical commemoration, it is repentance.